Will Diego Costa pay? Is Anthony Martial the real deal? Five questions from the weekend

Such is the case with every set of Premier League fixtures, there were many talking points to be discussed following what was a typically emphatic weekend of football.

Chelsea toppled London rivals Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in controversial circumstances, there were differing fortunes for two of the Premier League's upcoming strikers and a certain manager faces the chop if his side fail to discover form.

So, here's five questions from the weekend's action:

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1) WILL DIEGO COSTA FACE DISCIPLINARY ACTION?

Spaniard Diego Costa was once again shrouded in controversy this week, this time against north London outfit Arsenal - not that he'll care, after his side left Stamford Bridge with all three points and a return to form.

The 26-year-old is notoriously aggressive and it’s no doubt part of the reason he was so good last season, but his display on Saturday was bad even by his standards. Strikers need to an aggressive streak to succeed in the Premier League, but there’s a line and Costa crossed it more than once against Arsenal.

There can be no disputing that the striker should have seen red for shoving his hands into the face of Laurent Koscielny before hitting him with a trailing arm. In the second half, he could easily have received a second yellow for knocking over Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Quite why he stayed on the pitch only Mike Dean will know, but the player is not out of the woods yet. The striker could still face disciplinary action from the FA if Dean says that he missed the incident - punishment that will be fully deserved.

2) ARE NEWCASTLE DOOMED?

Things just seem to go from bad to worse for Newcastle lately. The Magpies were nearly relegated last season and have made a disastrous start to the new campaign, without a win from their opening six games and 19th in the league.

A relegation battle is on the horizon it seems, unless Steve McClaren can drastically turn things around. Alas, he seems to be fighting a losing battle and while fans and pundits can continue to blast the Englishman, the fact is that Newcastle are just not that good.

There was a lack of effort last season and the same is evident again, and while McClaren’s tactics can be considered negative, the truth is that too many of the players are letting him, and more importantly the fans, down.

3) WAS HARRY KANE A ONE SEASON WONDER?

The 22-year-old failed to find the net for the sixth consecutive game of the new season against Crystal Palace, whilst new arrival Son Heung-Min stole the headlines.

It was another frustrating afternoon for the Englishman who struggled to make an impact against Palace and every game that goes by without a goal will only increase the pressure on the striker.

A lot was expected of him after his 21-goal breakthrough season, but so far he has failed to build on his heroics from the last campaign.

The idea of him being a ‘one-season wonder’ has already been mentioned and while it’s far too early to write him off, it’s true that he’s not having the same impact on games this season.

Make no mistake, this was always going to be a difficult season for Kane because he no longer has the element of surprise. Previously, defenders didn’t know what to expect from the striker but that’s not the case anymore - he’s been found out and now faces an uphill battle to recapture his form.

4) WHEN WILL LIVERPOOL SACK BRENDAN RODGERS?

It’s beginning to feel inevitable that Brendan Rodgers will not be in charge of Liverpool at the end of the season. He was lucky to hold on to his job at the end of the 2014/15 season and just to make matters worse, his side have made a poor start to the new campaign.

The Reds' near-title triumph has become a distant memory and things have gone dramatically downhill for the man at the helm.

A 1-1 home draw with Norwich on Sunday will do little to help his cause but there were some positives to take, such as the return of Daniel Sturridge, though the fact is that the results have simply not been good enough for a club of Liverpool’s stature.

Of course, the players should take their share of the blame, but unfortunately Rodgers is quickly losing the faith of fans, and the dressing room could soon follow. With Jurgen Klopp waiting in the wings, Rodgers’ days at Anfield are surely numbered.

5) WILL MARTIAL KEEP UP HIS GOAL SCORING FORM?

When Manchester United announced that they’d signed Anthony Marital from Monaco it did little to satisfy those crying out for the Red Devils to sign a proven goalscorer. The young Frenchman arrived in England with a less-than-spectacular record and the signing reeked of ‘panic buy’.

And yet the 19-year-old has made an unbelievable start to life at the club. Last week saw him come off the bench against bitter rivals Liverpool and after a combination of luck and skill slotted a lovely finish past Simon Mignolet to open his account.

The striker was then handed his first start in the Premier League against Southampton on Sunday and safe to say he made the most of his opportunity. The forward showed great composure to bring his side level in the 34th minute and then instinctively pounced upon Maya Yoshida's short backpass and confidently put the ball past Maarten Stekelenburg for his second.

The question now, therefore, is can he keep it up? With United short of numbers up front, Martial looks like he will continue up front for the foreseeable future and with a leaky Sunderland defence up next the teenager will fancy his chances of being on the score sheet again.

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